Switch panel



May 3, 1932.

E. L. OGLE SWITCH PANEL Filed Sept. 10 I 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l E. L.OGLE SWITCH PANEL May 3, 1932.

Filed Sept. 10, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ram 3 5 .i M. 2 T g 3 by screws,bolts Patented May 3, 1932 nrrso STATES PATENT GFFICE ELMER L. OGLE OFAURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ALL-STEEL-EQUIP COMPANY, OF AURORA,ZLLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS SWITCH PANEL Application filedSeptember 10. 1927. Serial No. 218,794.

C- vision of a panel board having new and improved means for mountingthe switch units therein, whereby they may be readily adjust-ed to theproper position relative to the flush plate in installing the panelboard in is the wall of a building.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedpanel board that is cheap to manufacture, easily assembled, neat inappearance, efficient in use, one

5351' in which the parts are not likely to become deranged or get out oforder, and one in which the units may be readily adjusted relatively tothe face plate.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the panel board with parts in section andparts broken 31 away Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of thesupportingbars for the switch units;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4. l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fuse holder;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of switch panel;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6,

" and.

Fig. 8 is a detail on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

It is the common practice in panel boards to mount the switch unit onthe flush plate and secure the plate to the cabinet or tub or the like.This arrangement is objectionable because of the difficulty of wiringthe units and of properly adjusting The present invention seeks todiiiiculties by providing means be wired and the parts. avoid theseproperly adjusted in the cabinet before the finishing plate is applied.

Referring now to the drawings, in which similar characters designate thesame parts throughout the several views, the reference character 8designates generally the panel board which comprises a container or box9 known in the art as a tub, for housing or containing the fuse sockets10 and switch elements 11. It is the common practice to secure the tub 9in position in the wall of the building before the plastering isapplied.

The fuse sockets and switch units are secured in the container or tub ina manner that will now be described.

In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, which is, by way of example only, a group of switch elementsconstituting a switch unit 12, is rcmovably mounted at each side of thebox. The arrangement of the switch units is immaterial. As shown in Fig.1 each unit comprises four switch elements 11 rigidly connectedtogether. Each of the switch ele ments 11 comprises the panel supportingplate 13, on which is mounted the switch lever or button 14 and theinsulating member 15 carrying the binding screws and contact members, asis usual in such constructions. The outer ends of the supporting plates13 are detachably attached to inwardly eXtending flanges 16 on theangular supporting bars 17 as by means of screws 18. \Vhen the fourswitch elements 11 are thus rigidly attached to the supporting bars 17the said bars anc elements constitute what may be termed a switch unit,which may be removed from the box or tub as a rigid structure.

A bar 19 is provided at each side of the tub or container 9 for supportng the inner portion of theswitch units. These bars and the side wallsof the tub or container are pro vided with screws 21 and 22, which areopposite each other and are located at each end of the tub. Each of thebars 17 has its body portion 23 extending beyond the flange 16 andprovided with slots 2a, which are adapted to engage the screws 21 and 22for securing the switch unit in position in the tub. By

means of the slots 24 the unit may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly, asoccasion requires.

The fuse sockets are preferably mounted on the bottom wall of the boxbetween the switch units. Any means may be employed for attaching thefuse sockets to the bottom wall of the box. As shown they are mounted onbars 25, which have their ends offset and at tached to the bottom wallof the box in any suitable manner, as by means of the screws 26.Preferably the ends of the bars 25 are provided with slots 30 extendingtransversely of said bars, whereby the bars may be attached to thescrews by unloosening the same and moving the bars laterally to causethe slots to engage the screws beneath the heads thereof, after whichthe screws may be tight ened for clamping the bars in position.

Each of the fuse sockets is provided on its under surface with notches,in which may be secured the busbars or electrical conductors 27 (SeeFig. 3.) Each of the fuse socket members 28 is preferably provided withtwo sockets 29 of the usual, or any well known construction. Each fusesocket element has its outer end reduced, as at 31, to form a shoulder32, forming an abutment for the guard 33, as will presently appear.

A suitable finishing plate is provided which constitutes a closure forthe tub or container 9. As shown, a plate 34 is employed for thispurpose. This plate is adapted to be held on the tub or container in anysuitable manner, as by the screws 35, which extend through said plateand are threaded into plugs or tabs 36 rigidly secured in the corners ofthe tub or container. The plate is provided at each side thereof withopenings 37, through which the switch levers or buttons 14 are adaptedto extend. The plate is also provided with a central opening'38, throughwhich access may be had to the fuse sockets. A suitable door or closure39 is pro vided for said opening. The door 39 is hinged to the marginaledge of the opening,

as by means of the hinges 41, and is provided on its free end with aspring latch member 42, which is adapted to engage a correspond ingkeeper 43 for holding the door in closed position. (See Fig. 4.)

Attached to the inner side of the door opening, and extending entirelyaround the same, are the angle bars 44. The flange of these bars that isattached to the plate tends inwardly beyond the edge of the opening toform an abutment for said door. The other flange is provided with aplurality of screws 45, which are adapted to engage slots 46 in theguard member 33 for holding the same in adjusted position. The guardmember 33 is in the form of a rectangular box having slots extendinginwardly from the outer edge thereof, whereby the guard member may beadjusted inwardly or outwardly, as occasion may demand.

The bottom wall of the guard is provided with openings which correspondto the size and shape of the reduced portion 31 of the fuse sockets 28.By loosening the screws 4-5 the guard 33 can be so adjusted that whenthe door 39 is closed, the bottom wall of the guard will rest on theshoulders 32, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

In the construction of buildings the tub is attached to the wall beforethe plastering is applied, and after the plastering has been applied theswitch elements, fuse socket members, and the finishing plate areattached. The fuse socket members which have previously been mounted onthe bars 12 are attached to the bottom wall of the tub by loosening thescrews 26 and moving the entire unit laterally to cause the slots 30 inthe ends of the bars 25 to engage the screws beneath the heads thereof,after which the screws are tightened for clamping the bars in position.The switch units are then applied at each side of the box by unlooseningthe screws 21 and and forcing the units inwardly, causing the slots 24in the bars 23 to engage said screws beneath the heads thereof. Astraight edge is then placed across the box and the plastering at eachside thereof, after which the switch units are moved outwardly untilthey come in contact with this straight edge, after which the screws 21and 22 are tightened for clamping the bars 23 in position.

The finishing plate may now be attached, and since the switch units havebeen brought out to the plane of the outer surface of the plastering,the switch levers or buttons 14 will extend the proper distance throughthe openings in the finishing plate. After the plate is attached, theguard member 33 may be adjusted to the proper position by loosening thescrews 45, as previously described.

A fuse plug holder 51, having the circular openings 52 for holding extrafuse plugs, is adapted to be placed in the lower portion of the spaceformed by the guard 33. The holder is preferably channel shape in crosssection with its inner flange 53, (see Figs. at and 5), longer than itsouter one and with its web portion arranged at an angle inclineddownwardly toward the front whereby articles cannot be left on the samewhen the holder is in position in the lower portion of the guard 33, asclearly shown in Fig. at.

It will thus be seen that a switch panel has been provided in which thebox or tub alone may be placed in position in a building, and that afterthe plastering has been applied the fuse sockets and switch elements maybe mounted on supporting bars and inserted as a unit within the box andproperly adjusted independently of the face or finishing plate The faceplate is now attached after the fuse socket and switch element unitshave been properly adjusted in position within the box,

. in Figs. 6,7 and 8 thus saving time and expense in their installation.

In the modified form of construction shown only one row of switchelements is disclosed, but this is immaterial. This form. ofconstruction differs from that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive in thatthe supporting bars 54: for the switch elements 11 are loosely supportedfrom the wall 55 of the tub or switch box 56 and the cross bars 57. Asshown inwardly off-set tongues 58 and 59 on said wall and cross bar,respectively, are provided for receiving the inwardly extending flangesof the angle bars 54:. The laterally extending flange portions 542 ofthe angle bars are provided with screw-threaded openings for receivingscrews 61 which are adapted to extend through the face or finishingplate 63 for drawing said unitup against said plate, whereby the switchlevers ll will be brought to the proper position.

The construction of the fuse socket unit and the manner of detachablymounting the same within the switch box is substantially the same in thepreviously described construction and its description need not berepeated her The same is also true of the guard member and finishingplate.

In assembling the device shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the tub or box isattached to the wall before the plastering is applied, as in thepreviously descibed construction, the leads are brought into the box andthe switch and fuse socket elements are wired and mounted on supportingbars to form switch and fuse socket units, respectively. The fuse socketunit is attached as above. The switch unit is placed in position and theface or finishing plate 63 is applied. It is secured to the box or tub56 by suitable fastening means, as the screws 6i extending therethroughand engaging threaded brackets or tabs 65 rigidly secured to sald box.The screws 61 are next i applied and by means of the same the switchunit is drawn forwardly to the proper position to cause the switchlevers to extend through the plate to the desired position.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connect-ion with theaccompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my devicewill be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changesin size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended CLFLIIIIS.

I claim as my invention 1. In a panel board, a tub. a partition withinsaid tub, supporting bars, means for adjustably mounting said bars onsale. nartition and tub, said means comprising fan-- tening elements forengaging slots in said bars whereby said bars may be adjusted inwardlyand outwardly within said tub, and

a plurality of switch elements mounted on said bars, said elementshaving operating levers, and a finishing plate mounted on said tub andhaving openings through which said levers extend.

2. In a panel board, a container, a crossbar within said container,screws threaded into said bar and the wall of said container andarranged in pairs opposite to each other, a pair of supporting barshaving slots therein for engaging said screws, whereby said supportingbars may be adjusted toward and from the bottom of said container, and aplurality of switch elements rigidly mounted on said supporting bars.

3. In a switch panel, a container, a crossbar secured within saidcontainer to opposite walls thereof, screws threaded into said crossbarand the adjacent parallel wall of said container and extending laterallytherefrom, a pair of supporting bars, a plurality of switch elementsrigidly mounted on said supporting bars, said supporting bars beingprovided with slots for adjustably engaging said screws for adjustingsaid elements toward and from the bottom of said container and afinishing plate extending over said container and having openingstherein through which the switch levers and buttons are adapted toextend.

4. In a switch panel, a tub member, a plurality of switch elements, eachelement being provided with a switch lever, means for rigid- 1y mountingsaid elements as a single unit. means for adjustably mounting said unitwithin said container within said tub, said means comprising fasteningelements engaging slots in said unit, whereby said unit may be adjustedinwardly and outwardly within said tub, and a finishing plate extendingover said container and unit and detachable therefrom, said plate beingprovided with openings through which said levers extend.

5. In a switch panel, a tub member, a fuse socket unit detachablymounted in the bottom of said member. said unit comprising a pluralityof fuse sockets rigidly mounted on a common support, each socket havingits outer end reduced, a finishing plate for forming a closure for saidtub member. a guard member having openings for receiving the reducedends of said fuse sockets whereby said guard members may be adjustedtoward and from said sockets for positioning the outer ends of saidsockets in said openings. and means for adjustably mounting said guardmember on said plate. l

6. A finishing plate for a switch box, comprising a plate provided withan opening therein, a closure for said opening, angle bars secured tothe inner side of said plate and extending laterally from the edge ofsaid opening to form a stop for said door, a tray-shaped guard memberhaving openings in its bottom wall for receiving reduced ends of switchelements. and means for adjustably mounting said member on said bars,whereby the same may be adjusted toward and from said closure forpositioning the reduced ends of said elements in said last-namedopenings.

7. In a switch panel, a switch unit comprising a pair of parallelsupporting angle bars, and a plurality of switch elements secured to oneof the flanges of each of said bars transversely thereof, the otherflanges of said bars being provided with parallel slots opening in theopposite direction from said elements.

8. In a switch panel, a tub member, a crossbar extending across saidmember adjacent one wall thereof, supporting members on said wall andbar, a switch unit supported on said supporting members, said unit comprising a plurality of switch elements each having a switch lever, afinishing plate detachably secured over said tub member for enclosingsaid unit and having openings through which said levers extend, andmeans for acljustably connecting said supporting members to said walland bar whereby the same may be adjusted transversely of said supportingmembers.

9. In a switch panel, a tub member, a crossbar extending across saidmember adjacent one side wall thereof, supporting members on said walland bar, a switch unit supported on said supporting members, said unitcomprising a plurality of switch elements each having a switch lever, afinishing plate on said unit and tub member having openings forreceiving said levers, and screws extending through said finishing plateand threaded into said unit for adjusting the same to position saidlevers relative to said plate.

10. In a panel box of the class described a circuit control device fixedupon the bottom of the box, a cover for the box, an opening in the coveropposite the control device, a partitioning member extending from thecircumference of the opening in the cover to the top of the controldevice, and means for telescopicall y mounting the partitioning memberon the cover to provide for variations in the distance between the coverand the control device.

11. In a panel box of the class described, a circuit control devicefixed upon the bottom of the box, a cover for the box, an opening in thecover opposite the control device, partitioning means extendingfrom thecircumference of the opening in the cover to the top of the controldevice, the partitioning means including relatively slidable memberswhereby provision is made for variations in the distance between thecover and the control de- Vice.

12. In a panel box of the class described, a circuit control devicefixed upon the bottom of the box, a cover for the box, an opening in thecover opposite the control device, partitioning means extending from thecircumference of the opening in the cover to the top of the controldevice, the partitioning means including a supporting member rigidlyfixed to the cover, and a second member movably attached to thesupporting member, and means to guide the second member in its movement.

13. In a panel box of the class described, a circuit control devicefixed upon the bottom of the box, a cover for the box, an opening in thecover opposite the control device, partitioning means extending from thecircumference of the opening in the cover to the top of the controldevice, the partitioning means including a supporting member rigidlyfixed to the cover, and a second member movably attached to thesupporting member, and means to guide the second member in its movement,the last mentioned means comprising elongated formations in the movablemember, and means on the supporting memher to cooperate therewith.

14. In a switch panel, a tub member, a finishing plate for constitutinga closure for said tub member, said plate having openings therein, apartition within said member, a switch unit within said member betweenthe partition and a wall of said tub member, said unit comprising a pairof supporting bars, and a plurality of switch elements secured to saidbars, each of said elements having operating levers extending throughsaid openings, each of said bars having slots extending transversely tosaid finishing plate, and means secured to said wall and partition forengaging said slots for holding said unit in adjusted position withinsaid tub, whereby when said tub is placed in position in a partitionwall the outer face of said unit may be adjusted to the plane of theplastering on said wall for receiving said finishing plate.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

ELMER L. OGLE.

